SHELTON HERITAGE SOCIETY OF GEORGIA & HISTORIC POSSUM TROT, INC.

SHS Celebrates African American History Month

Georgia, Oh Georgia: Rooted in Red Clay, 

Anchored in Memory & Resistance

Happy Black History Month! Georgia, Oh Georgia: Rooted in Red Clay, Anchored in Memory & Resistance is an African American History Month Series centering descendant voices, family memory, and historical truth. Through presentations and reflections, the series examines how African American individuals and communities confronted injustice—through moral leadership, self-defense, faith, and collective resolve—and how those acts of resistance continue to shape our understanding of history and responsibility today.

The Early County Massacre: Goolsby vs. The State of Georgia

With Author Orice Jenkins

Thursday, February 5, 2026 | 7 pm ET | Virtual | Free & Open to the Public

This program revisits the events historically referred to as the “Grandison Goolsby War,” expanding the narrative to examine the broader family and community impact of the Early County Massacre and its aftermath. Moving beyond a single incident, the presentation explores the relationships between victims and survivors, the escalation of violence, and the long pursuit of justice that followed.

Participants will join Orice Jenkins, author of The Early County Massacre: Goolsby vs. The State of Georgia, for a powerful discussion grounded in historical research, family history, and descendant-centered storytelling that reframes the massacre through the lens of memory, resistance, and accountability. Click the button below to register.

Beyond the Headlines: Rev. Dr. Major J. Jones and

the Work of the Civil Rights Movement

Counsel, Conscience, and Moral Architecture

An Evening with the Jones Family

Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 7 pm ET | Virtual | Free & Open to the Public

Born in Rome, Georgia and possessing deep familial ties to the Freeman, Shelton and Cathey families, Rev. Dr. Major J. Jones was the grandson of Sanford and Susie Freeman (nee’ Cathey). Susie’s brothers, Lee and Wallace Cathey, married Shelton sisters - Frances “Fannie” and Lula. Rev. Dr. Jones was a respected leader of faith, education, and moral clarity. A theologian and educator, he devoted his life to shaping ethical thought, mentoring future leaders, and guiding institutions during times of profound social change. During the Civil Rights Movement, Rev. Dr. Jones served in leadership with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and was known as a trusted voice of counsel and discernment among movement leaders, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. His influence extended beyond public protest to the moral and organizational foundations that sustained the movement.

Join us for an evening featuring a presentation on the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Major J. Jones, along with personal reflections from members of the Jones family, as we explore his impact as a man of faith and conscience during one of the most transformative periods in American history. Click the button below to register.